‘Angry waters’
N.C. gov warns of Florence floods as toll hits 15
Hurricane Florence may have turned into a tropical depression, but it still claimed a 15th victim early Sunday when a pickup truck flipped into a drainage ditch in South Carolina.
Michael Dalton Prince, who was 23, was a passenger in a truck that lost control on a flooded two-lane road, according to Georgetown County Coroner Kenny Johnson. The driver and another passenger escaped after the truck turned upside down, but Prince drowned.
He is the fifth person killed by the storm in South Carolina. A couple in Horry County died of carbon monoxide poisoning while running a generator inside their home, and a woman in Union County was killed when her vehicle hit a tree branch.
An official in North Carolina told ABC News on Sunday that the combination of heavy rainfall and powerful winds makes Florence “one for the record books.”
“It’s bad right now, and we do expect it to get worse in the coming days,” Michael Sprayberry, director of the North Carolina Division of Emergency Management, told ABC’s “This Week.”
Sprayberry, who warned that the flooding is “historic and unprecedented,” said the agency has 1,000 rescue personnel and 200 boats at their disposal. They also have 36 helicopters that are in the air or otherwise available.
“We’re going to get hammered,” Fayetteville, N.C., spokesman Kevin Arata told CNN. “The worst is still yet to come.”
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said Sunday that some parts of the state are getting 2-3 inches an hour.
“Floodwaters are still raging across parts of our state, and the risk to life is rising with the angry waters,” Cooper said, according to ABC News.
Florence weakened to a tropical depression early Sunday after blowing ashore as a hurricane with 90-mph winds on Friday.
About 740,000 homes and businesses remained without power in the Carolinas, and some of them could remain so for weeks.
“FEMA, First Responders and Law Enforcement are working really hard on hurricane Florence,” President Trump tweeted Sunday. “As the storm begins to finally recede, they will kick into an even higher gear. Very Professional!”
“We’ll get through this. It’ll be ugly, but we’ll get through it,” FEMA administrator Brock Long told NBC’s “Meet The Press.”
About 13,500 military personnel are helping with relief efforts, according to the Defense Department.
Victor Merlos was excited to find a store open for business in Wilmington, N.C., since he had about 20 relatives staying at his apartment. He spent $500 on cereal, eggs and other necessities, as well as beer.
“I have everything I need for my whole family,” said Merlos.
Five people were arrested for looting after breaking into a dollar store in Wilmington. A storeowner initially asked not to press charges, but had a change of heart. Wilmington cops posted surveillance photos of looters, and say they will be charged once they are identified.
“It’s important to take a strong stand against looting,” Wilmington Deputy Police Chief Mitch Cunningham told ABC News. “This community has been through a lot right now, and we feel very strongly that looters are exploiting people that are vulnerable at a time like this. We need to take a strong stance. The owner agreed with us, and therefore it’s under investigation.”